Car Care: How to Pour Oil

Eliminate oil bottle “burps”

Believe it or not, there's a right way and a wrong way to pour oil from a plastic bottle into your car's engine. By holding the container properly, you can actually eliminate those messy gurgles.

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine:July/August 2011

Bottle design 101

Ever notice
how oil bottles
have an “off-center”
spout?
It's designed that
way to cut down
on spills. Most
people think the
spout should be
on the bottom
side of the bottle
as you pour.
That's wrong.
Because after just
a few seconds
in that position,
the bottle will
start to “burp”
and spurt oil.
To eliminate the
“glug, glug, spurt,
spurt,” pour with
the spout in the
“up” position.
Yes, that makes
it harder to aim,
but once you get
going, you'll have
a smooth stream
without any
“glugging.”

Tools & Materials List

Required Tools for this Project

Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.

Rags

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list.